Somerset Sailors Become Gym Teachers for a Day

U.S. Navy - Wednesday 6th December, 2017

SAN DIEGO (NNS) -- Sailors from amphibious transport dock ship USS Somerset (LPD 25) spent their morning as volunteer gym teachers at the Nestor Language Academy Charter School in San Diego as part of a community outreach event, Dec. 4.

17 Sailors were supporting the school during a professional development training day, allowing more teachers to attend the event while the Sailors led students in physical education, games, and activities with the support of part-time teachers.

"It helps us tremendously because it frees up our teachers," said Nestor Academy's assistant principal, Beatriz Carlos. "To have the Sailors as extra bodies out there to motivate the kids, to supervise, and to get them playing and doing aerobics activities really helps us."

For the Sailors, this was an opportunity to be involved in the local community and show face at a local school.

"Since the city of San Diego does so much for us, we're happy to come back and engage with the youth here and help to show them that we're just like them," said Religious Programs Specialist 2nd Class Sylvester Bryant, from Dallas, one of Somerset's community events coordinators. "They get to see that we're just regular people."

The Sailors led students in games of dodgeball and kickball, and also gave them a taste of military training with marching and calisthenics.

"The kids are really excited," said Bryant. "They're over here doing pushups with the Sailors, and they're playing kickball and dodgeball and just really having a blast."

Sailors from Somerset have participated at several events with Nestor Academy in the past, and plan to participate in more events in the future.

"Any time we're able to bring members of the community into the school, it's just a link for our students," said Carlos. "It helps to validate what they're doing, that this is something real that will go into the community."

Somerset is currently undergoing a planned maintenance availability at General Dynamics NASSCO Shipyard in San Diego. For more on USS Somerset, follow us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/SomersetLPD25.

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